Gareth Ward accused of bullying by second woman, Parliament hears

By Lisa Visentin & Alexandra Smith

NSW Liberal MP Gareth Ward has been accused of bullying a second woman, after the Opposition revealed a written complaint from a community member had been sent to the Premier's office.

In question time on Wednesday, Shellharbour MP Anna Watson read excerpts from the complaint in which the woman accused Mr Ward of having "anger management issues" and claimed he verbally abused her at a community meeting in June.

The woman, who is a member of a Dapto residents group and wished to remain anonymous, sent the complaint via a web form on the Premier's website days after she claimed she had met with Mr Ward at a community centre.

Ms Watson said the woman alleged Mr Ward had "anger management issues, no concept of appropriate behaviour and appears to have issues with women".

Gareth Ward says claims that he is a bully are "absolutely not true". Credit:Brook Mitchell

It is understood this second complaint relates to a community meeting in June about a proposal to build a jail at Kembla Grange, which has since been scrapped by the NSW Government.

Mr Ward responded to the claims at the conclusion of Question Time, telling the chamber: "I deny emphatically the claim I yelled or bullied anybody at that meeting."

"That is simply not true. I wouldn't do that," Mr Ward said.

When asked by Labor if she was aware of the complaint, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she had not sighted the correspondence and accused the Opposition of embarking on a "very, very slippery slope".

"I expect all members of Parliament to conduct themselves appropriately and I have no reason to suspect the member for Kiama acted inappropriately on that occasion," Ms Berejiklian said.

Another woman, Save Our Councils Coalition campaigner Jacqueline Tuck, told the Herald she had been "bullied and frightened" by Mr Ward during a byelection campaign last year.

Ms Tuck, who was campaigning for the group opposing council amalgamations, said she lodged a complaint with the NSW Electoral Commission after an incident at a polling booth in Mosman during the North Shore byelection in March last year.

"He is not a small man and he frightened me by standing over me and shouting violently," Ms Turk said. The Electoral Commission did not respond to her complaint.

Mr Ward said he did could not recall ever meeting Ms Tuck. "I don't know her," he said.